Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/55

Rh Sand, being fitted with Shoes, whose single Soles are made a Finger broader than the upper Leathers, to encounter this difficult Passage: Having ascended as far the black Rocks, which lay all flat like, a plain Floor, we climbed within a Mile of the very Top of the Pico, and at last we attained the Summit, where we found no such Smoak as appeared a little below, but a continual Perspiration of a hot and sulphureous Vapour that made our Faces extremely sore; all this way we found no considerable Alteration of the Air, and very little Wind, but on the Top it was so impetuous, that we had much ado to stand against it whilst we drank K. Charles II. Health, and fired each of us a Gun. Here also we took our Dinner, but found that our strong Waters had lost their Virtue, and were almost insipid, while our Wine was more brisk and spirituous than before: The Top on which we stood being not above a Yard broad, is the Brink of a Pit called the Caldera, which we judged to be a Musket Shot over, and near fourscore Yards deep, in form of a Cone, hollow within like a Kettle, and covered over with small loose Stones mixed with Sulphur and Sand, from among which issued divers Spiracles of Smoak and Heat, which being stirred with any Thing puffs and makes a Noise, and is so offensive, that we were even suffocated with the sudden rising of Vapors, upon removing one of these Stones, which were so hot as not easily to be handled; we descended not above four or five Yards into the Caldera or Caldron, because of the Slipperiness under Foot, and the difficulty; but some have adventured to the Bottom: Other Matters observable we discovered none, besides a clear sort of Sulphur which lay like Salt upon the Stones: From this renowned Pico we could see the Grand Canaries fourteen Leagues, distant, Palma eighteen, and Gomera seven, which Interval of Sea Rh